John Cooper Steam Boot Factory

[Maxima]

I have just come across John Cooper's Steam Boot Factory which was built in South End, Croydon, approx 1870s, which produced boots for agricultural labourers - aside from the Factory houses were built for his workers in Bynes Road, along with several shops (with the area apparently given the nickname Snob's Island - snob being a term for a cobbler.) I was wondering if anyone knows how or where to find out more information about the Factory?

[maddys52]

A bit of information here (which you may already have):
https://nfknowledge.org/contributions/j-bruce-cooper-photographs-1897-1900-the-man-behind-the-camera/#map=10/-1.7/50.83/0/24:0:0.6|39:1:1|40:1:1

There are a couple of relatively recent mentions in newspapers:

in 1979 it was mentioned as being on a list of historic buildings for sale of the "Historic Buidlings Bureau" (the article doesn't give any further info except that it says it is of the 1860s)*
   Saturday,  Mar. 10, 1979
Publication: Financial Times

Also, in 1984:
"No one has told the burgers of Croydon that the Sixties building boom is over, and month after month, year after year, jarring monoliths that would rack the conscience of the most fervent disciple of Spence are erected in the name of the money-makers. NB shed copious tears when the old Steam Boot factory was laid waste in the name of some glass and steel vileness ..."
   Wednesday,  Nov. 21, 1984
Publication: Punch

* Though this report about the proposed demolition says 1870s:
"Cooper's Steam Boot Factory, South End, Croydon The GLC has given listed building consent for demolition. At the last report this was still awaiting the Secretary of State's agreement. GLIAS and the Croydon Natural History & Scientific Society are doing an outline recording exercise in early January. Latest research suggests the building is of the 1870s rather than the 1860s as previously thought."
http://www.glias.org.uk/news/066news.html

[maddys52]

Also a mention of "John Cooper, Croydon" in a list of subscribers at a dinner at the "fifty-eighth annual festival of the Boot and Shoe Trades Provident and Benevolent Institution" held at the Holborn Restaurant, London.
Friday,  Oct. 26, 1894
Publication: Northampton Mercury

(Also a mention of a pair of boots found on the remains of body washed ashore inscribed "O.D.20 J. Cooper, Croydon" - at an inquest in Ramsgate in June 1894.)

Modified to add:
And a mention in Nairn and Pevsner's "The Buildings of England, Surrey"
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01r0d/

And a photo here:
https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/pub-histories/england/london/the-skylark-croydon
and https://www.flickr.com/photos/kiksabrooks/48732203923/

And an item about it in the "Association for Industrial Archeology Bulletin" 1979
https://industrial-archaeology.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/AIA-Bulletin-06-3-1979.pdf

[Maxima]

Thank you very much maddys52 for taking the time to relay all that information, that's wonderful. It is all very interesting.

My great great grandfather is listed as a boot maker/finisher and is living in Bynes Road, during 1870/80s so am assuming he must have worked at the factory.

I have been trying to research what was happening in the area as it all adds to building up a picture of their day to day lives, but I only found mention of the Factory the other day, so it is a new area to look into. Such a shame the building has been demolished.

Many thanks,
Ann

[maddys52]

Happy to help, it was certainly a lovely building, such a shame it was demolished.

I was interested to read of how well COOPER seemed to treat his employees, and his customers, instituting an installment scheme for agricultural labourers. 

What was your gg grandfather's name? - happy to have a look in the newspapers and see if there's any mention of him.

[Maxima]

That's very kind of you, he was named John Ward. From the size of the factory Cooper must have employed a lot of locals from the area. I wonder what initiated the move of the firm to Northampton. 

[maddys52]

"WARD, Nov. 11th, at 173, Bynes-road, Croydon, John Ward, aged 52 years."

Croydon Guardian and Surrey County Gazette, 16 November 1889

Can't see any other mentions of him, though there are numerous other items about various bootfinishers of Cooper's Buildings and Bynes Rd Croydon.

[Maxima]

Ah, this is great. There were two possible deaths I found for him in the death register, one a few years earlier and this one, I wasn't sure how I was going to determine which one was his without taking a guess or buying both certificates.

I will be ordering that today then. Thank you so much, I wasn't expecting that there would be any mention of him to be honest.

Many thanks 🙂

[maddys52]

No worries, I enjoy searching through old newspapers. Always good when you find something useful.